Harry Dunn and Wala Blegay are officially joining the race to replace Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer, who’s retiring after more than 40 years in Congress.
Two more candidates are officially joining the race to replace Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer, who’s retiring after more than 40 years.
The latest to announce they’re running for the 5th District seat are two fellow Democrats: Prince George’s County Council member Wala Blegay and former U.S. Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn, who defended the building during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot.
Both made their intentions official Wednesday.
Blegay was appointed in December to fill a vacant at-large seat on the Prince George’s County Council.
Dunn ran for Congress in 2024 in Maryland’s 3rd District, but lost the Democratic primary.
Ed Hale Sr., a Baltimore businessman, sports team owner and longtime Democrat, ended speculation about his party affiliation and declared Wednesday that he will run for governor as a Republican.
Ed Hale Sr., a Baltimore businessman, sports team owner and longtime Democrat, ended speculation about his party affiliation and declared Wednesday that he will run for governor as a Republican.
Hale described himself as a moderate, but said his party switch was rooted in political pragmatism more than ideology.
“There’s no way I could win running against Wes Moore with that machine he’s got,” Hale said of the incumbent Democratic governor. “He takes all the money and oxygen out of the room. I can’t do it. I’m a pragmatist and I’m a moderate person. That’s just the way I am.”
Hale made the announcement — one that was expected — in an east Baltimore waterfront park that he once owned and sold to the city. It came after he hired Annapolis pollster Patrick Gonzales to look at a head-to-head race between himself and Moore.
“I don’t believe I had a chance, based on the polling that was done, to beat him,” Hale said of Moore. “I had a chance, but it was not as good as it would be running as a Republican.”
Hale said later that the poll only looked at him against Moore and did not include other Republicans who have filed or announced for governor, or who are the subject of speculation.
Hale, 78, is well-known in the business community but is an unpolished political candidate.
“So, the big thing here is, I like building things. I like making things. I like hiring people. That’s the way it is,” Hale said. “ What we have right now are these career politicians with smiling faces that really, really don’t give a sh-t. You all know it. I do. I care.”
While Hale was blunt about his reasons for switching, Senate Minority Leader Stephen S. Hershey Jr. (R-Upper Shore) was equally blunt, casting doubt on Hale’s affiliation switch and portraying him as a political opportunist.
“We’ve built a Republican movement in Maryland that stands for more than just opposition to the far left — it stands for authentic leadership and a clear governing philosophy,” Hershey said in a statement. “Our voters expect more than opportunism — they expect commitment.”
Hershey noted that Hale has “spent decades” supporting Democrats.
In remarks to reporters, Hale noted his relationships with former Baltimore mayor and Maryland Gov. William Donald Schaefer, a Democrat. He also spoke about raising money for Democrats including Dutch Ruppersberger, the former Baltimore County executive and congressman, and former Sens. Ben Cardin and Barbara Mikulski.
“I did it because they were going to win and if you don’t do that, you’re just not very pragmatic or prudent,” Hale said.
But he noted he also voted for Republicans, including former Govs. Larry Hogan and Robert Ehrlich.
“It’s just the way that I am. I want to vote for the winner,” he said.
Hale grew up in Baltimore. He said his record “stands for itself” more than political affiliation.
“If you want to talk about labels, I’m the wrong person,” he said. “You’re born in Baltimore — I’m from east Baltimore not too far from here — and you’re automatically a Democrat. But I stopped thinking about party affiliation except when I voted.”
He described his Democratic affiliation as a business tool.
“If you’re building anything, you have to go with the party that’s in place, so you have someone to call to get a permit,” Hale said. “I can sugarcoat it any way you want, but that’s the tool.”
Hershey, in his statement, questioned Hale’s commitment to core Republican principles.
Senate Majority Sen. Stephen S. Hershey Jr. (R-Upper Shore) questioned Ed Hale’s reasons for switching parties to run for governor. (File photo by Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters.)
“The Republican nomination for Governor will not be handed out to the highest-profile defector from the left. It must be earned,” Hershey said in his statement. “Maryland Republicans expect their leaders to stand firm on limited government, lower taxes, and personal responsibility.
“We’ll be scrutinizing Ed’s record closely to ensure he genuinely embraces our values, not simply our party label,” Hershey’s statement said.
Hale may also find himself at odds with Republicans aligned with President Donald Trump.
“Now, I am not a Donald Trump guy. I’m going to make that very clear,” Hale said, but added that he would try to work with the president, who is very unpopular in Maryland.
Hale said he would not “poke” Trump as Moore and other Democrats have done.
“You have to have some pragmatism and common sense … so that you know that you’re going to be doing the right thing to make jobs in the state of Maryland,” he said.
Hale laid out a platform of opposing taxes and fees and accused Democrats of misrepresentation as some, including Moore, claimed to have cut taxes.
“I want to attack … what we all know is a problem,” Hale said. “I think we have dishonest people telling us things that are just not true, making us try to try to make us believe that these things are true, that the taxes are not going up. That fees are not going up. We all know it’s not true.”
He said he backs nuclear power as a way to lower energy costs in the state and hinted at a tough-on-crime position, calling for juveniles as young as 14 to be jailed and for parents to be held responsible.
“I think we should lower the date that they could go to jail — the age — down to 14,” Hale said. “If that’s the one stealing the cars and doing that, put them in jail. Find the parents and get judgments against the parents, too. That will begin the parenting.”
Hale joins a growing field of Republicans who have formally filed or announced for governor.
Baltimore businessman Ed Hale Sr., a Democrat, will seek the GOP nomination for governor next year, after realizing it would be difficult to beat current Gov. Wes Moore (D) in a Democratic primary. (Photo by Bryan P. Sears/Maryland Matters)
John Myrick, who previously ran an unsuccessful campaign for U.S. Senate, and Carl A. Brunner Jr., a Carroll firearms instructor, have both formally filed for the GOP nomination.
Freshman Del. Christopher Bouchat (R-Frederick and Carroll) said he will run for governor rather than re-election to the House. Carroll County farmer Kurt Wedekind has also said he will seek the Republican nomination. Neither Bouchat nor Wedekind have formally filed their candidacy.
And then there is the ongoing speculation about Hogan mulling a possible return to office. The former two-term governor has used social media to stoke that speculation.
Hale himself raised the possibility of another Republican former governor – Ehrlich — attempting a comeback.
“If Larry Hogan wants to run, if Bob Ehrlich wants to run — I’ve heard that, too – have at it. Let’s have a contest,” he said.
Hale’s announcement Wednesday does not make him a formal candidate. He must change his party registration, something the Talbot County resident said he could do as early as Wednesday.
Hale must also register his campaign committee with the Maryland State Board of Elections, as well as financial disclosure forms. Hale said some of that may also be done as early as Wednesday afternoon.
He cannot file his formal candidacy with the state board until he chooses a running mate.
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Republican Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States on Wednesday, outperforming his results in the 2020 election, while Democrat Kamala Harris failed to do as well as President Joe Biden did in winning the presidency four years ago.
Voting trends that were seen nationally also appeared in Maryland and Virginia.
“A lot of polls had Kamala Harris winning by eight or 10 points, but she won by five,” said Virginia political analyst Bob Holsworth, while discussing the polling and election results in the Commonwealth.
Five points is the margin that Hillary Rodham Clinton carried Virginia by in 2016, which was five points below President Biden’s margin in his 2020 victory in Virginia.
“What was interesting in both the races was in almost every jurisdiction in those two districts, there was a shift of one or two points to the right,” Holsworth said. “We saw this almost uniform pattern of jurisdictions moving a little bit more toward the Republican direction than they had previously in Virginia, and that really was the story of the nation.”
In the 7th Congressional District, which is being vacated by Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger, Democrat Eugene Vindman declared victory over Republican Derrick Anderson with about a two-point lead.
The Associated Press declared Vindman the winner on Wednesday evening, nearly 24 hours after polls closed.
In the 10th Congressional District, which Democrat Rep. Jennifer Wexton is leaving due to severe health challenges, Democratic Del. Suhas Subramanyam defeated his Republican opponent, Mike Clancy, by about four points.
“What you saw in the election was that in Northern Virginia and in the big suburbs around Richmond — particularly Henrico and Chesterfield counties — the Democrats did quite well,” Holsworth said. “What you also saw was the complete collapse of the Democrats in rural Virginia.”
Trends in neighboring Maryland
Similar patterns emerged in Maryland, even though registered Democrats outnumber Republicans in the state by a 2:1 ratio.
“It’s a safely Democratic state, but the national trend of the shift toward Republicans is something we see in Maryland as well,” said Todd Eberly, a political science professor at St. Mary’s College of Maryland.
Trump improved his vote share in Maryland, and Harris pulled in less than Biden did four years ago.
Eberly said the divide between urban and rural Americans was on full display.
“The education divide between those with a college degree and those without is growing, and you see it playing out in Maryland,” Eberly said. “You have these seas of red in the east and in the west, and then you have all of this blue along the urban and suburban I-95 corridor, which also happens to be where most of the folks with college degrees are concentrated.”
Republican former Gov. Larry Hogan lost to Democrat Angela Alsobrooks in the race for Maryland’s open U.S. Senate seat.
Still, Eberly noted, “Larry Hogan looks like he’s going to have probably the best performance for a Republican Senate candidate in 20 years.”
As of Wednesday night, the race had not been called by The Associated Press.
“In that district, Democrats should have done better,” Eberly said. “That is a district that is most competitive in off-year elections, but it’s looking pretty darn competitive in a presidential election.”
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This year’s race for the White House is going to be a historic one, with Vice President Kamala Harris squaring off against former President Donald Trump.
But the race for the U.S. Senate in Maryland could make history too, as Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks vies for the chamber in a battle against former Gov. Larry Hogan. If Alsobrooks wins, she’d be the state’s first Black senator. If Hogan wins, he could shift the balance of power in the Senate.
Here’s what you need to know.
Dates at a glance
Deadline to register to vote online or by mail: Oct. 15
Deadline to apply for mail-in ballot: Oct. 29 (Note: This is the date your mailed or faxed request must have been received, not just sent. You may request your mail-in ballot in person on election day, Nov. 5, at your local board of elections.)
In-person early voting: You can register to vote the same day. Early voting runs from Oct. 24 to Oct. 31 — and that includes Saturday and Sunday.
Election Day: Nov. 5. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. As long as you’re in line by 8 p.m., you’ll be able to cast your vote.
Deadline to return your mail-in ballot: You’ve got two ways to return your mail-in ballot: By mail: Make sure your mail-in ballot is postmarked by or before 8 p.m. on Nov. 5. To make sure your ballot is counted, the Board of Elections recommends you return it as soon as you have filled it out. By hand: You also have the option of hand-delivering your ballot to an approved drop box or local board of elections by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
The Maryland State Board of Elections said that due to a change in the law, “we now mail every voter an application for a mail-in ballot. The best time to vote in person is on weekends during early voting and between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on election day.”
The full list of early voting centers is available online from the Maryland Board of Elections.
Of course, in-person voting is available on Election Day. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. As long as you’re in line by 8 p.m., you’ll be able to cast your vote.
These are your mail-in ballots, but the board said they must, by law, refer to absentee ballots as “mail-in ballots,” in case there’s some confusion there.
If you’re voting via mail-in, your ballot has to be mailed, dropped in a ballot drop box location, taken to a polling place, early voting center or local board by 8 p.m. on Nov. 5 for the Presidential General Election. If you mail your ballot, it must be postmarked on or before Election Day to be counted.
What’s on the ballot?
In addition to electing candidates to office, Maryland voters will also be asked about whether an amendment enshrining abortion rights should be included in the state’s constitution.
Presidential race
Democratic ticket: Kamala Harris/Tim Walz
Republican ticket: Donald Trump/JD Vance
U.S. Senate
Democratic ticket: Angela Alsobrooks
Republican ticket: Larry Hogan
U.S. House
District 1
Democratic ticket: Blane H. Miller III
Republican ticket: Andy Harris (incumbent)
Libertarian ticket: Joshua O’Brien
District 2
Democratic ticket: Johnny Olszewski
Republican ticket: Kimberly Klacik
District 3
Democratic ticket: Sarah Elfreth
Republican ticket: Robert Steinberger
District 4
Democratic ticket: Glenn Ivey (incumbent)
Republican ticket: George McDermott
District 5
Democratic ticket: Steny Hoyer (incumbent)
Republican ticket: Michelle Talkington
District 6
Democratic ticket: April McClain-Delaney
Republican ticket: Neil Parrott
District 7
Democratic ticket: Kweisi Mfume (incumbent)
Republican ticket: Scott Collier
District 8
Democratic ticket: Jamie Raskin (incumbent)
Republican ticket: Cheryl Riley
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This year’s race for the White House is going to be a historic one, with Vice President Kamala Harris squaring off against former President Donald Trump.
But the race for the U.S. Senate in Maryland could make history too, as Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks vies for the chamber in a battle against former Gov. Larry Hogan. If Alsobrooks wins, she’d be the state’s first Black senator. If Hogan wins, he could shift the balance of power in the Senate.
Here’s what you need to know.
Dates at a glance
Deadline to register to vote online or by mail: Oct. 15
Deadline to apply for mail-in ballot: Oct. 29
In-person early voting: You can register to vote the same day. Early voting runs from Oct. 24 to Oct. 31 — and that includes Saturday and Sunday.
Election Day: Nov. 5. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. As long as you’re in line by 8 p.m., you’ll be able to cast your vote.
Deadline to return your mail-in ballot: You’ve got two ways to return your mail-in ballot: By mail: Make sure your mail-in ballot is postmarked by or before 8 p.m. on Nov. 5. To make sure your ballot is counted, the Board of Elections recommends you return it as soon as you have filled it out. By hand: You also have the option of hand-delivering your ballot to an approved drop box or local board of elections by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
The Maryland State Board of Elections said that due to a change in the law, “we now mail every voter an application for a mail-in ballot. The best time to vote in person is on weekends during early voting and between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on election day.”
The full list of early voting centers is available online from the Maryland Board of Elections.
Of course, in-person voting is available on Election Day. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. As long as you’re in line by 8 p.m., you’ll be able to cast your vote.
These are your mail-in ballots, but the board said they must, by law, refer to absentee ballots as “mail-in ballots,” in case there’s some confusion there.
If you’re voting via mail-in, your ballot has to be mailed, dropped in a ballot drop box location, taken to a polling place, early voting center or local board by 8 p.m. on Nov. 5 for the Presidential General Election. If you mail your ballot, it must be postmarked on or before Election Day to be counted.
Who’s on the ballot?
Presidential race
Democratic ticket: Kamala Harris/Tim Walz
Republican ticket: Donald Trump/JD Vance
U.S. Senate
Democratic ticket: Angela Alsobrooks
Republican ticket: Larry Hogan
U.S. House
District 1
Democratic ticket: Blane H. Miller III
Republican ticket: Andy Harris (incumbent)
Libertarian ticket: Joshua O’Brien
District 2
Democratic ticket: Johnny Olszewski
Republican ticket: Kimberly Klacik
District 3
Democratic ticket: Sarah Elfreth
Republican ticket: Robert Steinberger
District 4
Democratic ticket: Glenn Ivey (incumbent)
Republican ticket: George McDermott
District 5
Democratic ticket: Steny Hoyer (incumbent)
Republican ticket: Michelle Talkington
District 6
Democratic ticket: April McClain-Delaney
Republican ticket: Neil Parrott
District 7
Democratic ticket: Kweisi Mfume (incumbent)
Republican ticket: Scott Collier
District 8
Democratic ticket: Jamie Raskin (incumbent)
Republican ticket: Cheryl Riley
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If you’re not interested in voting for Maryland Democratic contenders for U.S. Senate, U.S. Rep. David Trone and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, you have other options this upcoming election.
Tired of the skirmishing between the leading Democratic contenders for U.S. Senate, U.S. Rep. David Trone and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks? Looking for alternatives in the May 14 primary?
Democratic voters do have other choices — eight to be exact. While their messages have largely been crowded out by the millions being spent by the two frontrunners, here are some things to know about the other Democrats seeking to replace departing U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D):
Michael Cobb Sr.
Cobb, a roofer, said he’s running to change the Democratic Party, which, he says has gotten “too progressive.”
The Middle River native criticized the party’s stance of slowing oil drilling and banning fracking for natural gas. He also wants to prevent the use of wind farms.
As senator, Cobb said he’d aim to increase the number of domestic oil drilling jobs and enforce gun control laws. The candidate hopes to bring “accountability” to Congress and care for the average American.
“I never wanted to get into politics,” Cobb said. “But somebody has to stand up for the regular working class.”
Marcellus Crews
Crews, a business owner and IT specialist, said he’s running because he’s “fed up” with existing crime and welfare policies. Crews said that none of those problems can be solved without a robust education system.
“Education is a vehicle that gets us as a nation back on the road of us leading the world,” Crews said.
The Prince George’s County resident decided to run after joking about doing so with his wife and employees. Afterwards his wife sat him down and convinced him to join the race.
Crews said he hopes to establish professional certifications as a different pathway to jobs outside of a college degree. As senator he’ll seek to improve Maryland’s education system to develop the state’s workforce. mitigate losses due to dropout rates and rehabilitate returning convicts. Crews hopes to distinguish himself by having a clear vision guiding his policy decisions.
“It is time that our society gets back to the fundamentals,” he said.
Crews has lived in Maryland for nearly 37 years, residing in Upper Marlboro. He founded CREWSING Technology in 2009 and has served as its managing director since.
Brian Frydenborg
Fryenborg said he was surprised by Cardin’s retirement last year and wondered who would replace him. Inspired by the book “Dismantling Utopia: How Information Ended the Soviet Union” by Scott Shane, and by a desire to shape policy, Fryenborg decided to run for Cardin’s seat.
While he’s impressed with the frontrunners — Trone and Alsobrooks — he worries they might not be able to beat Hogan. The candidate pointed to a recent Baltimore Sun poll that shows Trone and Alsobrooks losing to Hogan by 7 and 8 points, respectively, as well as other polls suggesting Hogan is ahead.
Frydenborg said his top priority is to prevent former President Donald Trump’s reelection and the “existential threat” the former president poses to democracy. Fryenborg said if elected he’d introduce legislation providing federal tax credits for renters earning less than $70,000, improving maternal health and addressing credit card debt.
The self-described “policy nerd” hopes to serve as a third option for voters, as he has nearly 25 years of experience researching and writing about policy, including foreign policy and humanitarian aid. He’s worked as an independent journalist founding his own site, Real Context News, and his work has been featured in other publications such as Newsweek and Business Insider. He’s also been cited in NATO’s Cyber Defense Reports and the international media organization Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s
Fryenborg said he would be the type of person a senator hires to write policy. “I say let’s cut out the middle man,” he said.
Scottie Griffin
Griffin is a long-time educator running who believes her background in policy development and implementation will be valuable in the Senate. Griffin has served as a leader of the Women’s Democratic Club of Montgomery County and an international team leader at the National Presbyterian Church, which is headquartered in Washington, D.C. Though she’s had an interest in politics, she said the timing wasn’t right to run for any elected office until she completed other career goals.
Griffin has over 12 years of experience as an educator in various positions including academic coordinator for the Juvenile Services Education Program in the Maryland Department of Juvenile Service. As senator, she wants to increase access to higher education for underprivileged youth through scholarships and grants, and reduce the tax rate for those earning less than $50,000 a year. Griffin also wants the state to retrain law enforcement officers to reduce the use of lethal force and increase racial sensitivity.
Robert Houton
Houton is running to stop the fentanyl crisis. Fentanyl overdoses in the state increased 108% from 2018 to 2021, Houton said. His children have friends who died from overdoses.
Houton says he helped politicians create legislation to combat fentanyl usage, the Fentanyl Safe Testing and Overdose Prevention Act in the U.S. Senate and its companion bill, the STRIP Act, in the House of Representatives. The Senate bill would amend the Controlled Substances Act to clarify that the possession and transportation of fentanyl or xylazine testing isn’t illegal. The legislation is co-sponsored by 10 senators including Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D).
The Boston-born candidate also wants to address affordable housing. One of his proposals is to transition some of the state’s commercial real estate properties into affordable housing.
Houton decided to run after the fentanyl legislation was introduced in the Senate.
“Knowing that accomplishment was successful amplified the urgency [of the Senate run],” Houton said.
The non-profit founder also plans to continue the campaign after the primary. Houton said he’s been in contact with the Maryland State Board of Elections and believes he’s qualified to appear on November’s ballot as an independent candidate for Senate.
Joseph Perez
Perez, a former Department of Justice contractor, said he’s running for Senate to lower government debt and decrease government spending. One of his proposals is to require a spending report for organizations receiving government funding, according to a profile in the Frederick News-Post.
He took the same approach to addressing climate change, arguing that such efforts to address climate change needs more accountability and should primarily center domestic efforts. Perez said his upbringing which involved immigrating to Northern Virginia as a child, would help inform his time in office. “Maryland could benefit from a representative in the U.S. Senate who has known the hardship of living paycheck to paycheck, living off of credit,” Perez said in his campaign bio.
Steven Scuferer
Scuferer said that governments shouldn’t be making medical decisions for people. His priorities include creating an elected board of doctors to be involved in policy decisions and addressing gun violence by making mental health evaluations part of the requirements to purchase a gun.
Scuferer said he doesn’t support the significant amounts of money being poured into elections, so he’s opting to talk to people in person as much as possible.
The IT specialist said he’s looking to be the voice of the average American. “Their struggles have been my struggles,” he said.
A.J. Wildman
Wildman, a frequent candidate for office, has worked as a business systems analyst and consultant for 30 years. The Carroll County resident seeks to address bullying in K-12 schools. He also wants to limit the student use of phones in schools and bring back the death penalty. He also wants to introduce rent control and food price protections. He hopes to eliminate “racial divisions” and create straightforward solutions for Maryland residents.
